Bavarian Beerhouse

Time Out says

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4 out of 5 stars

Time Out says

One of two branches of the UK's only German-themed pub chain, Bavarian Beerhouse offers a variety of German food and drink. The drinks menu includes wines, schnaps and beers served in traditional steins, while food ranges from bratwursts and pretzels to potato dumplings and even suckling pig (for which, book in advance).

I've never been a huge fan of German food. It's a bit too much of a sausage fest to be honest (lol) and i've always found it very heavy and stodgy - but I visited the Bavarian Beerhouse in Tower Hill with the hope that my opinion would be over-turned and I would have a new found love for German food.

I went with my brother and his girlfriend. Because my brother is a hashtag LAD he ordered himself a 2-pint stein of Weiss Beer while us ladies chose a glass each of the house white, because we're elegant (and a bit stupid for not opting for the bottle as we did go onto order another few glasses each later on) My brother found that there is an arc created by drinking 2 pints from one glass - initially you feel over-whelmed by the sheer size (something highlighted obviously by the caption that goes with the obligatory instagram photo), and then you feel elated at the excitement of so much beer, and then you feel you'd definitely be up for a wild one later because the beer buzz hits, shortly before the exhaustion of the heavy lifting gets to you and you feel about ready to go home and nap it off.

Food wise, sausage is the obvious choice, but we all swerved that cliche and went for a few things less obvious (although equally still very German) To start, a platter of mystery meats, potato salad, pretzels, bread rolls and pickles - one of the mystery meats tasted quite similar to teddy bear ham (in a good way!) and the pickled flavour actually gave a nice balance for the flavours.

For the main course, I chose the pork shank which was almost as big as my head and came on a bed of sweet red cabbage and had a side of sauteed potatoes and a selection of gravys (including a gorgeously sweet curry sauce!) Around my shank came a gorgeously crispy sleeve of crackling which crunched loudly enough to make neighbouring tables look round and envy my tasty meal (thats what glares mean, right?) The meat was tender and juicy, but I came nowhere near to finishing it due to the sheer size. If you want to order this dish, skip the starter.

My brother had the goulash which was a rich, stew with slippery noodles and red cabbage, while his girlfriend went for the classic lightly breaded pork schnitzel and chips which dipped perfectly into the sauces.

The vibe in this place is pretty great - there's a relaxed after work carefree feel, making it the perfect place to come for a big group outing. Live music plays on some nights, and there is a DJ downstairs every Friday to help you kick off your weekend. Yes the girls are dressed in Dirndls and I was expecting it to look slutty and tacky, but it's not like that at all. There's no pretension; it's just a fun themed bar and restaurant perfect for a relaxed drinking session with friends or colleagues. And while i'm still not 100% sold on German food, I definitely won't turn my nose up at it anymore.

I visited the Bavarian Beerhouse on a Friday evening in early October with my boyfriend for their Oktoberfest festivities. While the bar upstairs appeared to be populated by city workers lured by the promise of a stein- that equates 2 pints- we had ‘schnitzel’ tickets that included table service. These entitled us to a stein of beer- or two glasses of wine- and a meal. There were three meal options: Wiener schnitzel served with chips; a traditional sausage platter served with mash potato and sauerkraut; or Bavarian cheese noodles.

We were greeted warmly upon arrival and led downstairs, where the space was lined with rows of communal tables and the occasional booth. Immediately detecting that the atmosphere was dominated by the large, boisterous groups already in full swing, we opted for a quieter table tucked away from our neighbours. The setting was simple and the waiting staff was outfitted in dirndl and lederhosen- it was tremendously kitschy and boisterous at first, but we eased into the spirit when the oompha band appeared. They were lively, energetic and circulated around the room to ensure that everyone was involved in the revelry.

Our waitress was very obliging, but was noticeably overwhelmed- she took our drink orders and kindly arranged for the kitchen to make a vegetarian schnitzel instead of pork. Following this, she was very difficult to flag down and it took some time for our meals to arrive. My boyfriend enjoyed the sausage platter and changed his mind about sauerkraut. My vegetarian schnitzel was essentially two vegetarian patties served on top of salad and accompanied by an herb sauce. I was much happier with this option over the starch overload of breaded pork and chips, but this is not a gastropub and the food is deliberately rustic.

We ordered a round of drinks to accompany our meal- not steins!- that were not included in our ticket price. When the waitress brought over the bill, we immediately spotted that almost £10 had been added on top of the price of our drinks. We were advised that this was a service charge, but our tickets were paid for in advance and we had exchanged tokens for our meal and drinks during the evening. It was therefore evident that had we not ordered a round of drinks, we would not have been charged for the service!

This resulted in some confusion, but we stressed that £18 seemed unreasonable for a pint and a small glass of wine. The waitress only charged us for the drinks and apologised for the confusion.

The schnitzel ticket costs £24.50 per person for a drink and a meal- the price of a stein was more reasonable than I expected, most being priced at around a tenner. Five pounds for a pint of beer is pretty typical in Tower Hill, so stopping into the Bavarian Beerhouse for a drink isn’t unreasonable. The food is standard pub fare with a Bavarian twist, but it is a stodgy assortment, so come hungry.

We enjoyed the music and the atmosphere was becoming increasingly raucous when we left- shots of schnapps were flying out by the tray load and group singalongs were reverberating across the room. It was obvious that there would be sore heads the next morning, but this is all part of the spirit of Oktoberfest.

I would recommend arriving in a large group with something to celebrate. This is the right place for a stein-clanking evening out when you can get properly prost, after all!

Came here with a few friends and we had a really good time. The atmosphere was lively, albeit a tad noisy thanks to a group of rowdy lads behind us. The waitresses all wore traditional Bavarian attire which was a nice touch! With plenty of German grub on the menu there was plenty of choice - my friends opted for the Wurstplatte (sausage platter) which was accompanied by a nice dose of sauerkraut. I opted for the rather delicious Gemuseschnitzel (vegetarian schnitzel) which in my humble opinion was cooked to perfection and accompanied by yummy fluffy mash potato. With plenty of authentic German beer on tap by the pint or stein to wash it down with, it made for a very enjoyable night. It would be nice to have a wider vegetarian and dessert selection however! It was rather busy so it's recommended that you book, however the waitresses were fab-very attentive and friendly!

The food is very good and you get good portions, whatever you order. There's a good selection of German beer whether you want a pint or a stein! It's easy to find as only a short walk from Tower Hill tube station, would go again next time i'm in the area.